From Desktop To Studio - The Process of Recording "Out of Orbit"

My humble studio at home - controller keyboard and my Mac.

This post may have limited appeal, but I figured there might be other digital composers who'd be curious about my song writing process.

Nearly every tune I wrote for "Out of Orbit" started it's life in a program called Reason by Propellerheads. For me it's a perfect place to start because of the incredible flexibility of their sound modules, and the ease of use for those who want to reprogram and create your own sonic palate. Just before entering the studio last year I upgraded to Reason 4 which includes the amazing "Thor" module. Once I heard this baby, and all it could do, I reexamined all the songs and set out to craft a whole new group of sounds inside this unit.

Screencap of Reason 4 modules used on "Timid Creature"

Once I've gotten my song structure together and I'm happy with what developed in Reason, I then export each track as separate audio files. I'll also export a midi file then take everything into Logic Pro 8. In Logic I import each wave file to their own track, also bringing in the midi data so I can further experiment with the parts to see if the program might have something unexpected to offer. For me, I find that Logic is great for some types of sounds but not others. By the time I've reworked each song, about a third of what I created in Reason gets stripped away and replaced. I then head into my humble home vocal booth (ie. the upstairs bathroom), and lay down my scratch lead and backing tracks for studio reference.

One song on the album was an exception to this process. "Satellites Crashing" actually developed completely in Logic after I discovered the Sculpture module inside the program. I'm really intrigued by what can be crafted with this device and am experimenting with it more for the next album.

Screencap of Logic Pro 8 for "Timid Creature"

After all my editing is done I pass the tunes on to my engineer Ted Scarlett who imports everything to Pro Tools. He then has the task of setting up some preliminary EQs and FX before we head to the studio.

Screencap of Pro Tools session for "Timid Creature"

To get that wide vintage sound I wanted for "Out of Orbit" Ted and I tried to record as much analog data as we could through the mixing board at Stagg Street Studios. All the drums, bass, half the guitars, vocals and all the other instruments, got sweetened by the studio's outboard gear before heading into Pro Tools.

API Board at Stagg Street

Once everything was recorded we spend a couple months editing and then headed to Farias Studios for our mix session. Their Neve VR-60 board was the best one near me that was also in my budget. Both the studio's Neve and Manley Vari-Mu gave us the right combination of bigness and punch that I was looking for.

Neve Board at Farias